The present invention generally relates to cleaners, and more particularly to a cleaner for an elongate bore such as the barrel of a rifle.
The inside of a gun barrel is cleaned periodically to remove the buildup of oxidation material, combustion residue and galling (metal to metal contact) by-products. To begin cleaning, the barrel may or may not be removed from the rails or support that hold the barrel in contact with the grip or stock of the gun. A cleaning cloth, brush, or the like is pushed and/or pulled through the bore. A cleaning fluid, such as a solvent, is typically used to enhance the removal of the buildup.
A gun barrel can be cleaned, for example, by stuffing and extracting a cleaning-fluid-soaked brush into the bore of the barrel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,218 to Bottomley discloses a gun-cleaning device having a rod with a brush on one end. The rod is rotatably mounted in the handle. Grasping the handle and inserting the brush in a forward motion into a gun barrel causes the brush to engage the rifling of the barrel, which in turn causes the rod and the brush to rotate. This free rotation of the brush provides the best engagement of the brush with the riflings, and thus optimal cleaning of the riflings.
However, the use of a rifle cleaner such as is disclosed in Bottomley can be messy. The brush for such cleaners is typically dipped into a cleaning fluid, inserted into the bore of the barrel, rotated by and then removed from the barrel, thereby removing or loosening the various grit and dirt items within the barrel. Dipping the brush into a separate container of cleaning solvent can be a messy process, often resulting in spillage and fouling of the environment. There is a need for a more efficient, and less messy, device for cleaning the inside of a rifle barrel. Preferably, the device would still provide rotation of the brush or cleaning number so that the riflings in the barrel can be optimally cleaned.
The present invention is directed to a cleaner for elongate bores, such as would be used to clean the inside of a barrel of a gun. The cleaner includes an elongate member, such as a hollow rod, that has a handle at one end and a cleaning member at the other. The handle is rotatably mounted relative to the cleaning member so that the cleaning member can rotate to maintain engagement with the riflings in a gun barrel. In use, an individual grasps the handle and thrusts the cleaning member into a rifle barrel. The rotatable mounting of the cleaning member relative to the handle allows the cleaning member to spin, for example when the cleaning member engages the rifling on the inside of the rifle barrel.
The elongate bore cleaner also includes a fluid dispenser, preferably located adjacent the rear portion of the handle, the actuation of which causes fluid to flow through a conduit and out of apertures that are adjacent the cleaning member. Preferably, the fluid dispenser is a squeeze bottle, and the hollow rod serves as the conduit. Squeezing the squeeze bottle causes the cleaning fluid to travel from the squeeze bottle, through the hollow rod, exiting near the end of the rod, adjacent to the cleaning brush.
The present invention provides both rotary cleaning and dispensing of a fluid within a barrel, in an easy-to-assemble cleaner. The design of the present invention requires little labor and minimal parts. Bearings, glue, and conventional fasteners are not required in assembly.
Other advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: